Sorry to bring you this sad news this morning...
I heard about it last night.
A little about the guys...
Jim LeRoy started out his career in my neck of the woods. He was a member of our local aerobatic chapter and I've known him for years. When I first heard the news - they weren't sure who of the three made it.
Jimmy Franklin was a legend. Jimmy and his son, Kyle, were one of the best shows on the network. His WACO with the Jet Engine was hilarious at first - with a beautiful old biplane emitting Jet Engines performance. It was amazing. Always the showman, he was always looking for better ways to entertain the audiences.
Besides being one of the most entertaining airshow performers, he was also an accomplished movie stunt pilot. He performed in the Rocketeer, Three Amigos and McBain (among others). In the Rocketeer, he flew the WACO from the front - while the actor, Billy Campbell, sat in the back.
Bobby Younkin was also a legend. I'm sorry to say I have never met him. The plane he was flying, Samson, is a Curtis Pitts design with a M14P - Round Russian Engine - with nearly 400 hp. It's an wonderful machine.
The Masters' of Disaster sequence was amazing to watch - but always looked dangerous. I guess that was the great attraction. I've seen the video tape a dozen times already and it seems the Younkin was lost in the smoke and Franklin didn't see him. We'll never know.
My heart breaks for them and their families.
I once had the privilege of flying in the front seat of Jim Franklin's Waco while Johnny Kazian did a photo-op wing walk for me.
A truly nice man, and a loss to the aviation community.
Cheers
Jim